WIHC

WIHC
Strong Tower Radio Three Angels Broadcasting Network
Ownership
Owner	West Central Michigan Media Ministries
Sister stations	WGCP, WUPJ, WBHL, WAVC
History
First air date	December 1988
Former call signs	WUPQ
Call sign meaning	Hot Country 97.9 (previous format)
Technical information
Facility ID	8125
Class	C2
ERP	50,000 watts
HAAT	150.1 meters (492 ft)
Transmitter coordinates	46°26′58″N 85°06′04″W / 46.44944°N 85.10111°W / 46.44944; -85.10111
Links
Website	strongtowerradio.org

WIHC (97.9

Strong Tower Radio

History

WIHC has operated under numerous owners and formats since its launch in December 1988 under the ownership of Leon Van Dam. Originally an easy listening station with the callsign WUPQ, the station was sold to Cambrian Broadcasting in 1995, who switched the station to a country music format under the branding "Hot Country 97.9", with its callsign changing to WIHC to match the new name and format. The station's license was transferred to Marathon Media in 1998, who ran the station until the fall of 2001, when WIHC was sold to Northern Star Broadcasting as part of a $7.95 million deal involving 10 other stations.^[1]

Under Northern Star's ownership, WIHC became a part of Northern Star's "Classic Rock: The Bear" network of

Bob & Tom Show and Nights with Alice Cooper

In November 2011, West Central Michigan Media Ministries agreed to purchase WIHC from Northern Star Broadcasting for $150,000, and the deal was finalized in February 2012. After two years of silence, WIHC was brought back on air in March 2012 as a simulcast of

WGCP

in Cadillac, Michigan, simulcasting its Christian talk format under the branding Strong Tower Radio. Prior to buying WIHC, West Central Michigan Media Ministries had bought the construction permit for a planned Newberry radio station (WUMI, 90.3 FM) from Korkee, Inc. in February 2011, but it was left to expire after instead purchasing the already-completed WIHC later that year.

Following WIHC's initial closure in 2010, Northern Star Broadcasting changed the format of

Tuscarora Township

in March 2018.